Feather in the Wind
by PynkStarlyte
Summary: Harry meets Hermione in London after she disappears... he's doing great, but Hermione has more problems than she can handle. Now she's at the edge, and well, sometimes defeating Voldemort is nothing compared to saving your best friend. Please R+R


--  
Summary: Harry meets Hermione in London after she disappears... he's doing great, but Hermione has more problems than she can handle. Now she's at the edge, and well, sometimes defeating Voldemort is nothing compared to saving your best friend. Please R+R!!!  
---  
  
Author's Note: First HP fic... I wanted to try something out. ^^* There will be drama, romance, and angst in this fic... and maybe some action and adventure!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It is copyright J.K.Rowling.   
*********************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**********************+++++++++++++++++++  
Feather in the Wind ==:: fanfic by Sami a.k.a. pynkstarlyte  
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
Chp.1.: Meeting Means Memories  
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-  
  
The air was refreshing from the morning rain. Hundreds of people made their way throughout the streets, all hurrying to get to work. Buses, cars, and trucks sped up and down the gray concrete roads. The sky was decked with heavy clouds, all signaling that the sun wouldn't shine any time soon.  
  
A young woman with curly, light brown, shoulder-length hair pushed herself through a crowd of people heading in the opposite direction. Eventually she managed to squeeze her way to the other side of the crowd, and continued on into a cafe.  
Opening the large, glass door she quietly remarked, "It's a wonder how busy London is."  
  
She sat down at her usual table, and waited for a waitress to ask for her order. A familiar woman who seemed to serve her everyday came by and smiled.  
  
"Good morning, Miss Granger. The usual, I assume?"   
  
"Yes, please."  
  
The waitress nodded and set off. Hermione took a thick novel out of her purse and began to read. She was so concentrated in reading that she didn't notice someone walk over to the table and watch her. No, she didn't notice a thing until she got a tap on the shoulder.  
  
"Excuse me, do you really happen to be Miss Hermione Granger?"  
  
At that moment Hermione's milky brown eyes darted up. Was she seeing things?  
  
"Harry? Harry Potter?"   
  
"Yes, that's me alright."  
  
Hermione flashed a smile. She couldn't believe it. After all those years... Harry, of all people! He hadn't changed a thing. Messy jet black hair and charming green eyes, the lightning scar, and the round glasses. Everything was the same, except for the fact that he was taller and older. He wore a pair of faded jeans and an olive green sweater under a long, black coat, and naturally a smile.  
  
"So, how are you!? It's been all these years since we've last seen each other..." Hermione questioned as Harry took a seat across from her. Her voice was full of curiousity.   
  
"I've been doing great! I'm a professional quidditch player... didn't you already know? I was surprised that I didn't hear anything from you. Ron and I are still in good contact. I've tried to get a hold of you, but everyone I asked said that you disappeared and headed to London. I've got a few weeks off for the winter holidays, and a decided to take a look around here. It's been ages since I've been in this city. My team has to practice a lot-- we're the second best team in the league! Hopefully we'll reach the top soon."  
  
Hermione smiled.   
  
"That's wonderful."  
  
Harry was overjoyed to see Hermione. He missed the times that they had together. Ron was still his best friend, but without Hermione, it wasn't the same. He wondered why Hermione had suddenly left and never said another word. He wondered if she was married, where she worked, if she had a family, what she did in all those years-- he just wanted to know everything, even if it sounded a bit nosy. Hermione had changed in the 5 years that had passed after Hogwarts, which was natural. She was 21 now, just like him, but she had changed in appearance, too. No longer did she have bushy hair, but instead hundreds of curls, falling to her shoulders when she was still, and bouncing after her as she moved. She looked a bit tired for her age, but still, she had the most wonderful, soft eyes, that sent off a look of warmth. She had grown a lot, and possessed all the right curves that a woman should have. Harry couldn't resist but stare at moments and wonder, if it was really her.  
  
"So, Hermione, how have you been? What have you been doing all these years?"  
  
Hermione glanced down into her coffee mug. The coffee had just been served, and steam rised up into her face. Harry seemed to be living a successful life. She wasn't sure if she should explain to him what really happened.  
  
"G-G-Good. Things couldn't be better." Hermione attempted to force a smile, but suddenly she couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears cascaded into the creamy, light brown of her coffee, and as she slowly moved her head closer to her chest, they dropped into her lap and onto her black skirt that ended a few centimetres past her knees.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Harry was puzzled. Why was she crying?   
  
"Harry... I... I guess that it's time I explain someone what happened all those years. Just please, please don't say a word to anyone else."  
  
"Promise." Harry gave Hermione a reassuring smile and handed her a tissue.  
  
"Thanks." Hermione wiped away the tears, cleared her throat, and began to explain.  
  
"Well, we had just finished Hogwarts, and I decided to go to a school to begin studying for a degree to become a professor. I thought it over and over again, and made up my mind that I would love to teach students about magic, and let them learn the wonderful knowledge that I had learned. About one year into my studies... my parents... my parents were involved in a car crash."  
  
Hermione paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and continued.  
  
"They had collided with a large truck. Several cars were involved in the crash-- 10 people-- 3 came away with light injuries, 4 with severe ones, and 3 died-- including my parents. I was shocked, and went through a stage of depression. I loved my parents so much. They were always good to me and accepted my decisions. They encouraged me never to give up. They were the ones who gave me hope. I guess when they died, my hope went with them. I started to drink, go to wild parties, and do things that I had never done before. Until one night."  
  
Harry couldn't believe what Hermione was saying. It didn't sound anything like her. Wild and drunk? It was a miracle if she even went to a normal party!  
  
"I guess I drank too much. I blacked out... and the next morning I found myself in a penthouse. It was a beautiful place, but I only caught a glimpse of it. I freaked out and ran out of the place as soon as I could. I ran away... without even asking why I was there, and who lived there. Big mistake. A few months later after I had stopped with the drinking, my next problem came. I gained a lot of weight, and my... um... 'monthly visitor' ... hadn't come in a while. I went to a muggle doctor, and I found out that I was pregnant."  
  
Harry thought he was hearing things. Hermione... pregnant? He had to interrupt.  
  
"You're kidding, right?"  
  
"Please, let me finish. And no, I'm not kidding."  
  
"...All right, then."  
  
"That was my second shock. My studies were useless, too. My grades had fallen with me, and I dropped out of school. I moved to London and started a job in a library, a job that I still have today. I was too ashamed to go back to the magical world, too ashamed that someone would find out what happened to me. Eventually I had my baby, a girl, and now here I am. My daughter, Fiona, is two years old, I'm 21, a single mum, and struggling to keep us alive. Yes... that's what happened to the smart, successful Hermione Granger. In the end the books and brains didn't pay off, and I ended up here."  
  
Harry was wordless. He had never imagined that Hermione would go through something like that.   
  
"I'm... I'm sorry."  
  
"No, don't be, it's alright." Hermione glanced in Harry's eyes. "I guess, I guess some people just have luck, and others end up like me."  
  
"Do you at least know who the father is?"  
  
"The father? No... I don't."  
  
"Can I help you somehow? I have a large house, I make enough money, and I don't mind helping a friend in need."  
  
Hermione shook her head and stood up. She placed money on the table for the waitress, and paused before Harry, who was still sitting.  
  
"I'm sorry that I told you all of this. You don't need to worry or anything, Harry." Hermione smiled weakly. "You've got what you want in life. Finally, you have some peace. You-Know-Who is finally gone again, you've got a great job, you're famous, you've probably got a nice family, tons of friends... you don't need to dwell on the past, and trust me, I am nothing more than a mere feather in the wind. Life just takes me where it does, and I don't have much control over it anymore. I'm sorry... I have to go now... good-bye, Harry."  
  
With that, Hermione rushed out of the cafe and out of Harry's sight.   
  
  
"Hermione..."  
A small piece of pink paper fell on the marble floor of the building. Harry picked it up and read it, realizing that some sort of telephone number was written upon it. He tucked it into a pocket of his jeans, and peered through the window at the gray sky, as millions of raindrops fell from the many clouds.  
  
  
***********  
Hmmm... first HP fanfic... first chapter... I'm not really sure if I'm going to continue it. I'd like to, but if no one is really interested in reading it, what does that bring? ^^() Please review with comments and suggestions! Oh, and if anyone has any ideas of where this fic should go, please include it in your review. I just might add it to the fic if it's a good idea... and if I do use it, I'll give you credit, of course = ) Thanks! ~Sami a.k.a. pynkstarlyte 


End file.
